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Guidance for Linguists
Linguists are Habitica contributors who help translate the website and mobile apps into different languages. The following article offers basic information as well as a series of tips and tricks that will help Linguists bring Habitica to new users from nations around the globe. All Linguists should be fluent in the language they are translating to. It is better to have no translation than a bad translation because poor quality translations result in complaints and can damage Habitica's reputation. Please do not supply translations by using Google Translate or similar services. This page is for translating Habitica. For information on translating the Habitica Wiki see Guidance for Linguistic Scribes. IMPORTANT: This page was originally written when Transifex was being used to manage translations. Transifex is no longer used and any information that refers to it is outdated. Weblate is now used instead. If you are certain about new information that can replace old, incorrect details here, please update this wiki page. For any questions about the new process, please ask in the Commonwealth of i18n (Aspiring Linguists) guild. Overview * Weblate is the place where the translations are managed. New English strings are added by the Blacksmiths on GitHub and become source strings for translations when uploaded from Weblate. Linguists should not translate directly on GitHub. * Each project has its own set of languages available for localization. Translators can request new languages to be added to the projects and should explain their requests on Trello. These requests are handled by the project maintainers. Mobile apps will usually have fewer languages available with new ones being added by the developers when needed. * The Projects page shows the overall translation activity progress, while the Languages page shows all languages that are currently available for translation as well as their respective progress. * Anyone can see information about translation activity as well as suggest translations to strings, but only logged-in users can change translations. * To begin translating, select a project, language and component, then click on one of the categories of strings presented to you. Note that you can only change strings that have yet to be reviewed and approved. * Join the team of your language(s) to see any existing guidelines for translation into that language and to discuss translation alternatives. Use the list further down this page (under Team Work and Discussions) or the Commonwealth of i18n (Aspiring Linguists) guild to find other translators for your language. How to translate Check if there is a plan for your language * Go to the Translations Trello card and read the opening description of the card. Note the information there about available contributor tiers. You may also want to introduce yourself and tell people of your intention of translating. * Join the Commonwealth of i18n (Aspiring Linguists) guild. This is the Guild for translators to ask questions, help each other, and reach out to Habitica Staff if needed. * Go to Habitica's page on Weblate and check whether your language is listed and whether the site is fully translated or not. * If your language is on the list for the project it means that other translators have been working on the translation and you may want to help them. * If your language is not on the list, go back to the Trello board and start a discussion regarding your language to have someone add it for you. * If you have reached the conclusion that your work will enrich the current translation then proceed to the next step. Getting started * Please only work on languages of which you are a native speaker or have the equivalent level of fluency. Working on a language you are still learning is likely to cause translation errors that others will need to correct. * Log in or sign up for Weblate by clicking in the top right corner and follow the instructions on the page. * If you are logging in for the first time, you will be asked to pick which languages you wish to translate into as well as secondary languages which will show up alongside the source strings as you translate. These can be changed later on in Profile > Settings. * Once you are logged in, click on "Languages" in the top left row to make sure your language is available. As of September 2019 there are 35 languages to choose from, although some languages are not available for both the website and phone apps. If your desired language is not in the list, follow the guidelines above to request a new language. * There are multiple ways to navigate to the components available for translation. ** A. From your Dashboard (home page), click on "Your languages" and select a component to begin translating. ** B. Click on "Projects" in the top left corner, select one of the projects available (Habitica's website, the iOS app or the Android app), then a component and finally a language. ** C. Click on "Languages" in the top left corner, select one of the languages, then a project and finally a component. * Once you have selected both a language and a component to begin translating, you will be presented with an overview showing how much of the component has been translated as well as a list of categories that the strings currently fall into in this component, such as "All strings", "Translated strings" and "Strings needing action". The exact list varies depending on whether there currently is a string that falls into that category, and some of the categories overlap. * To begin translating, click on one of the categories, preferrably "Strings needing action" or "Strings with any failing checks". If these categories do not show up for you, go back and try another component. * You will now be shown the first string in that category, along with the corresponding translations in the language you've selected as well as your preferred languages. You can navigate between different strings by clicking the arrowed buttons above the strings. ** The right-hand column will show you what (if any) checks the string has failed, corresponding words in the language's glossary as well as general information about the string itself. ** Below the strings there are several tabs that can also be useful to look at when translating, such as comments made by other translators, version history for the translation, machine translation options etc. ** Selecting "Zen mode" from the right-hand column will provide you with an interface where the strings in the category you've selected are shown all at once instead of one by one. Zen mode also shows less information about each string than in the default mode and any changes you make while in Zen mode will be saved automatically. You can exit Zen mode at any time by clicking the same right-hand button again. Translating You can now start translating. You are very unlikely to break something while doing so, so experiment with the options you are given. Please note that you can only translate strings that have not been reviewed (i.e., new strings) as reviewed strings are considered to be correct. However, if you have a better translation for a reviewed string, you may add it by clicking "Suggest" or write a comment as this kind of help is also appreciated. Don't forget to press "Save" after each translation. As mentioned above, any changes you make in Zen mode will be saved automatically. Review process and suggesting corrections Once you have finished your translation work, someone will have to review it. That is usually done by a reviewer and might take some time. After a translated string has been reviewed, it cannot be changed except by reviewers. However, you can still help with improving translations. *If you think you have a better alternative for a reviewed string, translate it like you normally would and then hit "Suggest". Alternatively, you can leave a comment for other translators by selecting "Comments" tab underneath the strings. Please note that reviewers are not notified about new suggestions. * If you find an incorrectly translated string and it is locked as an already reviewed one, tag a reviewer of your language (@nickname in the comment text) and they will receive a notification. Translation guidelines and tips Glossary The Glossary is an important feature that you should always use: it provides a list of translated words so everyone will follow them as guidelines, like a dictionary. Different people could translate the same word in different ways, so please take care of the glossary to prevent misconceptions, even in other languages. To access the glossary for a language, first select either a project or a language (on the menu bar) and then click on the "Glossaries" tab. While viewing or editing translations for a string, relevant glossary words will appear in the right-hand column along with an option to add new glossary words or go to the main glossary page (by clicking the icon of a pen inside a square). Search Weblates search function can be found towards the top of the page under "Habitica / Language your translating". Press the green "Search" button at the bottom of the page when you are ready to see the search results. The Query is the search box. Here you will write the word or words to search for. If no changes are made to the search settings the search will filter the strings as follows: * The search will filter the exact word or words the way you wrote them. * It will include source strings and target strings, that is, the string we are translating and what we are translating it to. * The search will ignore capitalization, both in your search and the search results. * It will search through all strings. The Search type decides what words to search through. The first part features a box with four options: * Fulltext (default), the search will filter the exact word or words the way you wrote them. * Substring, the search results will show your searched word even if it is not part of a full word. For example, if you search for "Habiti" the search result will show all words with "Habiti" in them, therefore, for example, all "Habitica" words. * Exact match, the search word or words need to be exactly same as the result string. For example, to find the string "Duffle Coat" you need to search for "Duffle Coat" and, for example, not only for "Duffle" or "Coat". Note that capitalization does not matter. * Regular expression The second part decides what strigs to search through. The options are source strings (default), target strings (default), context strings, location strings and comment strings. You can check multiple boxes. With the Search filter, you can narrow down your search by choosing a type of string to search through. You can, for example, search through only strings who meat the criteria "Strings with any failing checks" or "Strings with comments". Changes since '''lets you search for strings that have been changed after a specific date. '''Changed by user '''lets you search for strings that have been changed by a specific user. '''Exclude changes by user '''removes changes by a specific user from the search results. The '''Languages section lets you search through multiple languages. Click on the languages in the left column to search for strings in that language, the chosen languages will be added to the right column. Can be helpful if you are translating to multiple languages. Search and replace To find this function you need to be under a component. In the same bar as the search function press Tools>Search and replace. In the Search string box, write the string you want to replace. Then write what you want to replace it with in the Replacement string box. Some particular aspects Variables Many strings have variables inside them. "sellForGold" : "Sell <%= item %> for <%= gold %> Gold", You can move variables inside the string as your language grammar demands it, but don't delete them or translate the name of the variable. Note also that variables are case-sensitive and require spaces in the right places. Variables should be reproduced exactly as they are so it's best to copy them. Links to Wiki pages In the strings for translation you may come across links to the Wiki pages containing additional information on some topic, e.g., Get these items faster with gems if you don't want to wait for them to drop when completing a task. Learn more about the drop system. You may change the link to the Wikia page to the corresponding page in your language, e.g. (for the French wiki), Récupérez ces objets plus vite avec des Gemmes, si vous ne voulez pas attendre de les recevoir en butin d'une tâche. Apprenez-en plus à propos du système de butin. However before you change the link please make sure that: (1) the page you are referring to exists, and (2) it gives information on the questions mentioned in this line. Please refer to the Guidance for Linguistic Scribes if you are ready to help with translating the Wiki; your help will be much appreciated by your fellow Linguistic Scribes! Proper nouns and capitalization Please keep the names "Habitica" and "HabitRPG" untranslated and with exactly the same spelling (as is). This applies even in languages in which grammatical rules would normally require word endings to be adjusted or other changes to be made—any such changes should not be made. If multiple spellings of the name were allowed, it would increase the cost of trademark protection. The names of people, including the NPCs (Non-Playing Characters) who are real-life users of Habitica, should not be modified—their English names should be used everywhere. The names of other characters, such as the April Fool, can be translated. The names of quests, as well as bosses, can be translated. Feel free to get creative with Habitican, Habiteer, Habitant, inHabitant, etc. as those are all constructions that work in English, but may not work for whatever language you're translating to. Capitalization may be a bit tricky when translating in-game terms. Please try to respect and follow the general rules found in the Guidance for Scribes. Language-specific Guidelines In addition to this Guidance, translators of particular language teams may reach certain agreements about the way to deal with some linguistic issues. These agreements can arise from discussions during the translation process. Later on, each team will try to follow the internal best practices. The topics of such agreements may include (but are not limited to): *the way to address the user *translations of specific in-game terms and their alternatives *translations of eggs and pets/mounts and their attributes (as each attribute should fit all pets and mounts) *translations of word play and tricky phrases repeated in several places *capitalization issues Such agreements are not strictly imposed rules, but they help to simplify the translation process and maintain consistency. If you would like to suggest better alternatives, please first consult with other translators and reviewers before implementing the changes to the subjects of the agreements. Please note: 'internal recommendations can not go against this Guidance. The language-specific guidelines that provide extra information that cannot be found on Trello or in this Guidance are discussed at the Embassy. Team Work and Discussions As it has been mentioned above, translators reach some agreements and follow certain practices when translating the site and the mobile apps. Transifex, the previous translation platform used, provided both general and language-specific discussion boards and announcements, but these forums were not very flexible. Many teams therefore used additional places to coordinate activities and discuss translations - the list can be found below. Weblate does not (as of June 2019) provide any similar forum, meaning that the additional places have since become the default gathering spot for each respective language team. In any case, it is advised that all translators and aspiring translators join the Commonwealth of i18n Guild, a.k.a. the Aspiring Linguists Guild. In general, it may be suggested that: *Each language team should have a hub for discussion *The hub provides information about general tips or guidelines specific for the language *'Every new translator is kindly asked to to join the hub and follow the guidelines provided by the experienced contributors *'Every important choice (e.g. changing the translation of a specific word in all the project) should be the result of a discussion with all the team.' Some language teams prefer to use one and the same place for discussing translations of the site and the wiki. The list of such places (mostly guilds) can be found in the Guidance for Linguistic Scribes. Options in Case of Difficulties If you are not sure about how to translate a line, you can try using one of the following options: # Ask in''' the Aspiring Linguists guild': Commonwealth of i18n. Other translators would be glad to help you! #'Check the tabs''' surrounding the translation field: #*'Suggestions' and History - may help you if the line has just been updated and had been translated before. #*'Glossary' - looking through the glossary may help if the reviewers of other translators have already added a term that you are not sure about. #*'Comments' - translators usually try to discuss things in English, regardless of the translation language. #*'Other languages' - it may be sometimes useful to look through the variants of translators of other languages. To always have the strings from another language show up alongside the source strings while viewing or editing, you can go to Profile > Settings and add secondary languages. #'Search function' - it may help you to search for specific terms through all of the strings within a specific language or multiple languages. You can search for specific words by pressing the "Search" tab, which will be available whenever you are at an overview page for a project or component. Use the filters to narrow down or expand your search as needed. #'GitHub' - search GitHub for the key of the line you have doubts about (use the search form at the top of the page). #'Using special Habitica account for testing' - you can emulate the situation in which you think the line is used. #'Submitting a comment' - write your question in the comments for the string. The discussion may be more fruitful if you put other translators you know and the reviewers in @'s. Translating the Updated Strings Please note that this section was written while Transifex was still being used and may therefore contain incorrect or irrelevant information. Sometimes a particular string, previously translated and even reviewed, can become untranslated. This may happen because a reviewer can delete translations to inspire translators to revisit particular strings (e.g. when a translation is absolutely wrong and it's easier to rewrite it from scratch). But more often strings lose translations because the respective source strings get updated. If modified strings get new keys (identifiers) they are considered as new ones. The translations history and comments associated with the previous version of a string (with the old key) won't be available in the translation area anymore. However the Transifex Translation Memory can store similar strings. Please see the Suggestions tab and look up the string with the Concordance search. If modified strings have new values, but the same keys as before, that will reset the translation area as well. However, in this case, all the previous translations can be found in the translation history of each string. Please see the "History" tab and check carefully to notice and understand what exactly has been updated in the source string. The history of the source files updates can be found at http://oldgods.net/habitrpg/locales-diffs/ The page has the output of the git log command for all the localization source files. It has been created and is maintained by a Habitica's admin Alys (Lady_Alys) to help the linguists. Please note that the "Last modified " column of the page shows the time stamp of the moment the log has been updated, not the localization source itself. Whenever you have difficulties identifying what has changed in the source string with a recent update, first notice the key of the string and the file it belongs to. Then open the file from the list and use Ctrl+F to find the key of the string. The first line beginning with "-" will show the old version, which has been replaced with the new one, which will be the next in the log beginning with "+". You may also want to browse the files on GitHub switching to the History or the Blame view, but the results will show the commits containing both relevant and irrelevant changes. Translating the Mobile Apps The official Android and iOS apps can also be translated on Weblate. You can access these under Projects by selecting Habitica Android or Habitica iOS. Weblate Team Roles Please note that this section was written while Transifex was still being used. It is in the process of being updated but may be missing some information or contain some information that still needs revision or is no longer accurate. Weblate translations projects are assigned to teams with contributors of different roles. Translators can contribute to new strings with no translations and edit translations of the strings that haven’t been reviewed yet. Apart from translators, a team can have reviewers. A user with reviewing permissions for a specific language is considered a trusted contributor who has enough experience for the title. Reviewers are appointed by staff after an application process involving input from other translators of their language. They translate strings and implement quality control measures. Applying for reviewer status In order to become a reviewer, a translator should meet certain formal requirements: * Has at least two (2) tiers for translation in the language they wish to review. * Is a member of the Commonwealth of i18n Guild. * Have background experience with projects related to translations / development (education, work, hobby) * Knows how to use Weblate tools to maintain consistency (i.e. glossary, translation memory, concordance search, batch-editing, comments, announcements, discussions, and filters - including for all the strings in all the project files); * Knows how to search for a specific string key on GitHub to check the uses of the data (string context, variables, links, etc.); * Is a team player and is always open to different opinions; * Follows the official Guidance and respects the language-specific community agreements and best practices. Please note: it usually may be better to have a string not locked if translation is not perfect. In order to apply for promotion: a translator should follow the procedure to make their application known in details by the staff and available to a certain extent for the team: # Complete the Google Form (up-to-date link can be found in the Commonwealth of i18n Guild) to notify the staff and the team manager in charge about your willingness to take the role of a reviewer for a specific language. # Post in the Reviewer Application Discussion Board. The Guild description gives details on what to include in your post. # Wait for the decision (two weeks are given for other team members to make comments) and take part in reviewing other applications; # Once the Guild post is made, other translators for their language will have about two weeks to review previous public actions of the applicant and share their concerns or recommendations, if any. Information can be shared publicly in the Guild chat or sent privately via this Google form. # If no serious objections have been found, staff will appoint an applicant a reviewer as soon as they are sure in their decision. They may then post a comment on their decision to the Guild. Beyond Weblate Contributor Tier Process Once you have succeeded in translating a piece of Habitica, you may get a contributor tier (also known as a badge) acknowledging your help. Tiers for help with translation are awarded to the members of the teams of languages going live: *after first personal contribution *after 1, 3, 6 month(s) and 1 year of constant contributing Previously a badge for reviewers was also available but the team decided to substitute it with a 1 year badge. Those who had previously obtained the reviewer badge will retain it. You must complete a Google Form telling the staff more about your contribution (the most recent link is provided in the Commonwealth of i18n Guild). Tier requests are usually processed in batches once every month or so. Please note that tiers might not be awarded for poor quality translations. Adding new translatable strings Refer to Guidance for Blacksmiths → Translatable strings Translating the Wiki For information about translating the wiki, visit Guidance for Linguistic Scribes. For information about translating the Whats New, visit Creating & Editing Whats New Pages fr:Guide des Linguistes ru:Руководство для лингвистов Category:Contributing